3.12: The deities, nourished by sacrifice, will bestow upon you (unsolicited) the necessary means for the performance of your duties. He who, without offering to others, enjoys for himself alone the provisions thus obtained from the deities, is verily a thief.
Commentary: The phrase "iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ" — here too, the term "iṣṭa-bhoga" cannot mean desired objects of enjoyment. The reason is that the preceding verse (the eleventh) speaks of attaining the supreme good, and this (twelfth) verse states the means for that. The supreme good can never be attained while there is desire for enjoyments. Therefore, here the word "iṣṭa," being derived from the root "yaj," and the word "bhoga" meaning necessary provisions, the meaning of the aforementioned words is: Those deities will continue to provide you with the necessary means for performing sacrifice (dutiful action).
The phrase "yajña-bhāvitāḥ devāḥ" implies that the deities, considering it their duty, certainly provide human beings with the necessary provisions; it is only human beings who must fulfill their duty.
"tair dattān apradāya ebhyo yo bhuṅkte" — Lord Brahmā used the words "te devāḥ" for the deities because humans were present before him, not deities. But here the word "ebhyaḥ" (which is formed from "idam") is used, indicating proximity. For the Lord, all are near (Gita 7.26). This proves that from here onwards, the Lord's own words begin.
Here, the word "bhuṅkte" does not merely mean eating food, but rather refers to utilizing all necessary means for bodily sustenance (food, clothing, wealth, shelter, etc.) for one's own pleasure.
This body is received from the parents and is also nourished by them. Knowledge is received from teachers. The deities provide everyone with the means for dutiful action. Sages impart wisdom to all. Ancestors show humans the means for happiness and comfort. Animals, birds, trees, creepers, etc., surrender themselves for the happiness of others. (Although animals, birds, etc., are not aware that they are benefiting others, nonetheless, benefit to others occurs spontaneously through them.) Thus, whatever means we possess — strength, capability, position, authority, wealth, property, etc. — all of it has been received from others. Therefore, these are to be employed in the service of others alone.
The body, senses, mind, intellect, etc. — all these things have been received from the world. They are never our own, nor will they ever be. Therefore, considering them as one's own and for oneself, and enjoying pleasure through them, is bondage itself. The simple way to be free from this bondage is to regard these things as belonging to those from whom we received them, and to engage them selflessly in their service. This is our supreme duty.
A doubt often arises in the minds of seekers: "If we serve the world, we will become attached to it and get entangled!" But the Lord's words establish that the cause of entanglement is not service, but rather the feeling of taking something for oneself. Therefore, abandoning the feeling of taking and, like the deities, giving happiness to others is the supreme duty of every human being.
The principle of Karmayoga prescribes the proper utilization of the received means, capacity, time, and understanding. To desire more (new means, etc.) beyond the received means is contrary to the principle of Karmayoga. Therefore, one must employ the received means, etc., for the welfare of others. There is not the slightest need for more. It is logical that as much is expected from someone as is their capacity; then how can God or the deities expect more than that?
"stena eva saḥ" — The use of the singular here ("saḥ stenaḥ") implies that the person who does not perform his duty takes for himself alone the share of provisions (food, water, clothing, etc.) meant for all, without giving it to others. Therefore, he is indeed a thief.
He who enjoys for himself alone without giving others their share is certainly a thief. But he who, in any measure, desires to fulfill his own selfish interest — i.e., desires respect, praise, etc., in return for employing the means in service — he too is a thief to that extent. The heart of such a person can never remain pure and peaceful.
This individual body is in no way separate from the collective world, nor can it be; because the part of the collective is called the individual. Therefore, considering the individual (body) as one's own and not considering the collective (world) as one's own is the cause of dualities like attraction and aversion, and this itself is egoism, individuality, or inequality. Through the practice of Karmayoga, all these (attraction, aversion, etc.) are easily destroyed. The reason is that the Karmayogi maintains the feeling: "Whatever I am doing, I am doing not for myself, but for the entire world." Herein lies a profound point: the Karmayogi performs all actions with the aim of the welfare of the entire world, not even performing any action for his own welfare. The reason is that considering one's own welfare as separate from the welfare of all also gives rise to individuality and inequality, which are obstacles in the seeker's progress. Whatever we have — body, senses, mind, intellect, etc. — all of it has been received from the world. To use a thing received from the world solely for fulfilling one's own selfish ends is not honesty.
**Special Point Regarding Duty:**
The sole aim of Hindu culture is the welfare of humanity. With this aim, Lord Brahmā (at the beginning of creation) commands human beings to give happiness to one another through selfless performance of their respective duties (Gita 3.10).
In a family, brothers, sisters, mothers, etc., all certainly perform actions; but the great mistake they make is that they perform actions under the sway of desire, attachment, infatuation, selfishness, etc. Therefore, they do not gain benefits either worldly or otherworldly; rather, they incur loss. Acting for oneself under the sway of selfishness alone causes strife, conflict, jealousy, etc., in this world and leads to a wretched state in the next. By serving others and desiring something in return, one's relationship with objects and persons becomes binding. Associating any action with selfishness makes that action petty and binding. No one in the world calls a selfish person good. No one wishes to give more to one who desires. It is often seen that even at home, things are hidden from a person who is attached and pleasure-seeking. On the contrary, if we serve others with whatever understanding, time, capacity, and means we have, it certainly leads to welfare. Besides, even without desiring objects, comfort, respect, honor, etc., they begin to be attained. However, a Karmayogi has no desire for respect, praise, etc., because desire for these and enjoyment of pleasure are binding. "How may I attain happiness?" — solely due to this desire, a person becomes negligent of duty and falls. Therefore, "How may others attain happiness?" — such a feeling should always be maintained by a Karmayogi. All persons in the home — parents, brothers, sisters, wife, children, etc. — should think of each other's welfare.
A common mistake made by one who serves is that he sits with false pride, thinking, "I am serving," "I am giving things." In reality, the person who serves gives the thing belonging to the served to the served alone. Just as a mother's milk is not for herself but for the child alone, similarly, whatever means a person has are not for himself but for others alone. Therefore, a person has no right to feel attachment towards the received means, i.e., to consider them as his own and for himself. Even if one feels attachment, the received means will not always remain; only the bondage in the form of attachment will remain. For this reason, the Lord says that the person who considers things as his own and enjoys them for himself is verily a thief.
The very nature of deities, sages, ancestors, animals, birds, trees, creepers, etc., is to do good to others. Man, always receiving cooperation from them, is indebted to them. For freedom from this debt alone, the system of the five great sacrifices (sacrifice to sages, deities, beings, ancestors, and humans) is prescribed. Man alone is such a being who can intelligently satisfy all through his dutiful actions. Therefore, the greatest responsibility lies upon man. He alone has received such freedom, by utilizing which properly he can attain the supreme good.
The deities, etc., certainly perform their duty. If man does not perform his duty, then not only among the deities but throughout the three worlds, disturbance arises, and as a result, natural calamities like excessive rain, drought, earthquake, famine, etc., begin to occur. The Lord also says (in Gita 3.23-24) that if He does not carefully perform His duty, all worlds would be ruined. Just as if even one wheel of a moving bullock cart is broken, the entire cart is jolted, similarly, in the moving wheel of creation, if even one person is negligent of duty, its adverse effect falls upon the entire creation. Conversely, just as when even one ailing (diseased) limb of the body is healed, the entire body is automatically benefited, similarly, through a person who properly performs his duty, the entire creation is automatically benefited.
Prajaapati Brahmā commanded both deities and humans to perform their respective duties. The deities, etc., all act within limits. Only man, due to his foolishness, transgresses the limits. The reason is that he considers the means received for serving others as his own property. To gain freedom from the bondage of actions of infinite past births, man has been given freedom, but he misuses it by developing attachment and possessiveness towards action and its results. Consequently, creating new bondage, he gets entangled himself and prepares to suffer sorrow for many future births. Therefore, man should serve the three worlds with whatever means he has received, i.e., he should employ those means in the service of God, deities, sages, ancestors, humans — all beings.
**Doubt:** If all the received means are employed in the service of others, how will the Karmayogi's livelihood be maintained?
**Resolution:** Actually, this doubt arises from identifying oneself with the body, i.e., considering the body as one's own nature. But the Karmayogi does not consider any relationship with the body; rather, he considers it as belonging to the world and for the world alone, and engages it in its service. His vision remains on the imperishable nature, not on the perishable body. Only one whose vision is on the body can raise such a doubt about how the Karmayogi's livelihood will be maintained. As long as desire for enjoyment remains, so long remains the desire to live and the fear of death. Desire for enjoyment does not remain in a Karmayogi because all his actions are not for himself but for serving others alone. Therefore, the Karmayogi does not care about his living. The question does not even arise in his mind: "How will my livelihood be maintained?" In truth, he whose heart has no need for the world, the world has need for him. Therefore, the world automatically arranges for his sustenance.
When even the livelihood of ordinary beings like animals, birds, insects, trees, creepers, etc., whose lives are dedicated to the welfare of others, is arranged, then how is it possible that the livelihood of a man who spends all the means received along with the body for the welfare of beings is not arranged?
By the infinite grace of God, the Sustainer of all, the means of livelihood are received equally by all beings. Direct evidence of this is before everyone. Even in the mother's body where there is only blood, sweet and nourishing milk is automatically produced for the child's sustenance. Therefore, whether due to destiny or by God's grace, the means for man's livelihood certainly come to him. There should be no doubt, worry, sorrow, or anxiety about this. In the Lord's kingdom, when even the most sinful and the most atheistic man's livelihood is maintained, what obstacle can there be in the Karmayogi's livelihood? Therefore, raising this question itself is a mistake.
**Connection:** In the ninth verse, the Lord, having stated that actions performed for sacrifice are not binding, commanded the performance of action for sacrifice. Having strengthened that command through the words of Brahmā, and harmonizing it with His own words stated in the ninth verse, He proceeds in the following verses to clearly elucidate the result of performing and not performing sacrifice (dutiful action).
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